How to set up WhatsApp Business

1. Install the app

Download WhatsApp Business from your app store. Use your existing number if you are happy mixing business and personal chats, or a second SIM if you want them kept apart. The two cannot run on one number at the same time.

2. Build the business profile

• Business name and category
• Address or the areas you serve, plus opening hours
• A short description of what you do and who for
• Email and website link
• A clear logo or shopfront photo as the picture

3. Add a catalogue

List your products or services with a photo, name, price and a short line of detail. This lets a customer browse and choose before they even type a message, which cuts down on repeated "how much is" questions.

4. Set your automatic messages

• Greeting message for a first-time chat
• Away message with your hours, for outside working time
• Quick replies for your most repeated answers: price list, location, delivery, payment options

5. Turn on labels

Labels such as New enquiry, Quoted, Paid and Completed let you see at a glance who is waiting on you. This is the single habit that stops enquiries from going cold.

6. Create your click-to-chat link

A wa.me link opens a chat with your business without the customer needing to save your number first. Build it as wa.me/263 followed by your number without the leading zero, for example wa.me/263771234567.

Put this link on your website, your Google Business Profile, your adverts and your invoices.

7. Test it before you announce it

• Send yourself a message from another phone to check the greeting appears
• Open the catalogue as a stranger would, from the profile
• Click your own wa.me link to check it opens the right chat
• Ask a friend to try it and tell you what was confusing